Azzurrini end UEFA Tournament in Portugal by beating Netherlands on penalties

The UEFA Tournament at Vila Real de Santo Antonio in Portugal ended with a win over the Netherlands on penalties after a 1-1 draw for the Under-16 National Team.

Roma defender Riccardo Calafiori opened the scoring 30 minutes into the first half before Pinas equalised three minutes after the restart. After missing a number of chances, the Azzurrini made no mistake at the penalty spot to claim their first win in the competition following defeats on penalties to Portugal and Germany

The tournament won by hosts Portugal was a balanced one with all six of the matches decided from the spot. “It was a difficult tournament,” said the Italy Coach Daniele Zoratto. “But it helped us develop technically and in terms of character. The guys took on teams that you normally meet in the finals of a European Championship and this is the kind of stimulus that makes you grow. Today, we played our best match and we finally picked up a win even if it was on penalties. I’m satisfied with how the guys did on the pitch and how they managed possession above all and weaved together good passages of play. When not in possession, the defence was always was always organised and effective. There is still room for improvement but this is clear considering the age of the guys.”